Program links workforce's skills with openings in booming fields

FREMONT - As Ohio celebrates "In-Demand Jobs Week" during the first week of May, community leaders across the state are working to raise awareness of opportunities for good-paying jobs in the most in-demand labor markets.

In Sandusky County, the Department of Job and Family Services is coordinating with the state's Ohio Means Jobs agency to help anyone interested in jump-starting their careers in booming fields.

Melanie Allen, assistant director of the Sandusky County Department of Job and Family Services, said there are 870 jobs open within a 20-mile radius of Fremont, and many of those are jobs are going unfilled as companies seek to fill positions paying as much as $25 per hour.

All this week, job seekers can get job-searching assistance from Ohio Means Jobs, 2511 Countryside Dr., as part of the statewide In-Demand Jobs Week.

" A lot of the jobs available don't require a college degree, or the companies will offer assistance programs to pay for their training or education," Allen said. "That is great when you are trying to stay out of student loan debt."

For Allen and the SCDJFS, the goal is to pair the county workforce's skills with the jobs available.

"This is a chance for you come in a market yourself and find a career that fits you," Allen said.

Currently, Allen cites health professions of nursing and medical secretaries as two of the most in-demand jobs.

Other jobs listed as in-demand include software developers, computer system analysts, construction workers and market research analysts.

"We can screen people at the Ohio Means Job Center and fit them with the best jobs for their skills," Allen said.

One reason for the surplus of open positions, Allen said, is that many residents in the county struggle to pass drug and criminal background checks.

"Some employers are willing to take a chance if they believe they can count on them to be a productive, reliable worker," Allen said.

As the county moves forward, Allen said SCDJFS is tracking future trends, including myriad jobs that could soon become available as more baby boomers reach retirement age, putting a strain on an already depleted workforce.

"We need to market to the younger population, because these jobs are in-demand and available," Allen said. "We want to show them they can make a nice living working in Sandusky County."

Thirty percent of available Sandusky County jobs pay between $30,000 and $49,000 a year, and 22 percent of the available jobs pay between $50,000 and $79,000, Allen said.